2017/18 National League North

[Hooped Wizard]

Yep, Gainsborough have never been promoted or relegated.

That will change this season.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

Don't Jinx it!! . . Normally we are stronger in defense but struggle to convert attacking moves into goals. Though to be fair, I think Gainsborough may have been an anomaly. We have defended quite well in the other games.
We haven't beaten Tamworth in at least 7 years I think, so winning tomorrow will be a good omen.

Don't jinx it!! - I somehow don't think I need to, going of the Tamworth result.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

Well another very frustrating afternoon of football in North Ferriby in a game that we should have won.
For me we only have ourselves to blame the game should have been put to bed by halftime.
Caton missed an absolute sitter, and numerous chances went begging. And one mistake at the back cost us dearly, no surprises when Ross Durrant was announced man of the match he made some incredible saves.

I was having a bit of banter with Ross when he was warming up before the kick off about the result at Blyth Spartans.

On the plus side it was great to see Tom Portas come through a full 90 minutes without any problems.
He was brilliant today, also Wheatley came on and he was very good.
Ferguson was at left back 'Our Martin think of Salford'

 

[Darlo On Tour]

National League North Results Saturday August 26 2017

Att. 1,130 - AFC Telford 1 Bradford Park Avenue 4
Att. 742 - Chorley 0 Brackley Town 0
Att. 284 - Curzon Ashton 0 Blyth Spartans 3
Att. 1,688 - FC United of Manchester 2 Boston United 1
Att. 669 - Harrogate Town 3 Tamworth 0
Att. 1,613 - Kidderminster Harriers 2 Alfreton Town 1
Att. ? - North Ferriby United 1 Darlington 1
Att. 731 - Nuneaton Town 4 Leamington 0
Att. 1,177 Southport 1 York City 1
Att. 887 - Spennymoor Town 1 Salford City 1
Att. 3,006 - Stockport County 1 Gainsborough Trinity 0

 

[CFC4LIFE]

Poor again, attendances getting worse

 

[DOLF87]

It was a surprisingly comfortable win against our bogey team Tamworth.
They forced a good save and rebound save off Belshaw in the 2nd half. Other then that, Tamworth didn't look like scoring.
Their keeper was whispering to the goal posts at the start of the match. It didn't help much, though we could have been up 3 in the first 10 minutes. There was quite periods of the game where we seemed to sit back a bit but Tamworth couldn't do out with that time.

We were top this time last season to end up 11th so I won't be getting carried away, though our wins seem to be overall much more comfortable then this time last season.

I overhead a couple of our fans still questioning weather Ainge would be better off back in defence. . . Surely not.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Very very worried with Curzon this season.

Its not a thumping bothers me. at the end of the day we are a small side, we should be happy with survival and will always get a few thumpings over the season. what worries me at present is just how one dimensional and bland we look. We were getting a thumping or two early last season vs Kidderminster and Tamworth and co, but we at least seemed like a gelled side, trying to play the right way, looking like we could create chances and just needing 2-3 players to gel it together.

We have for me looked dreadful in the last 2 home games, we have no midfield and very poor wide players, we create absolutely nothing on either wing and our gameplan seems to be to pass the ball backwards from midfield to defenders who whack it aimlessly forward in a hope one of our 2 forwards can hold up a ball or head it down and land to someone in a position to shoot...........that is about it for our entire play.

Not too shocked to leak a few goals the last couple of games, we have lost our two best defenders to injury/suspension and unlike others we have little back-up, playing youth players in defence yesterday, but i just see very few goals in this team and once Cummins gets knackered on about 60 minutes that is our entire style gone and we don't create.

Just hoping maybe if Alfreton give us a thumping tomorrow (I expect it) then it may lead to a rethink in approach and see us go back to playing what suits our team and ditch this new style which seems to not suit the players, or our manager. I do feel sorry for Flanagan, I think he's just trying to cope with what he has left having lost Goalkeeper, his two best midfielders and striker in the summer, but we just frankly do not suit or feel comfortable in this current way of playing.

I'd rather personally go down trying to play the style which suits us and knowing we just then in long-term need to scout for the 3-4 players (and know it will get better when we do) than go down like we are and then have to re-sort everything again in summer.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Very much a game of two halves for us. We unexpectedly went with a 3-5-2 first half (an odd choice perhaps with only one natural centre back) but thought we mostly coped well, except for set pieces where we struggled, particularly with the height of Alfreton. Allen in particular was dangerous.

We changed it up in the second half, threw on an extra striker and dropped Bradley deeper into midfield and I thought we looked a lot more comfortable and put Alfreton under a lot more pressure. You still had chances and a couple of great saves from Hall saw it out, but I thought that overall we were deserving of the victory and when you resort to time wasting at 1-0 in the first half, you kind of get what you deserve.

Ironside looked like he was getting back to his best after a shaky start to the season and I think we're finally starting to see what Dan Bradley can offer too. I'd still take a point on Monday away at Brackley though.

Totally agree with that. Unfortunately its indicative of the negative mindset at the club. In reality as you say its embarrassing.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Very very worried with Curzon this season.

Its not a thumping bothers me. at the end of the day we are a small side, we should be happy with survival and will always get a few thumpings over the season. what worries me at present is just how one dimensional and bland we look. We were getting a thumping or two early last season vs Kidderminster and Tamworth and co, but we at least seemed like a gelled side, trying to play the right way, looking like we could create chances and just needing 2-3 players to gel it together.

We have for me looked dreadful in the last 2 home games, we have no midfield and very poor wide players, we create absolutely nothing on either wing and our gameplan seems to be to pass the ball backwards from midfield to defenders who whack it aimlessly forward in a hope one of our 2 forwards can hold up a ball or head it down and land to someone in a position to shoot...........that is about it for our entire play.

Not too shocked to leak a few goals the last couple of games, we have lost our two best defenders to injury/suspension and unlike others we have little back-up, playing youth players in defence yesterday, but i just see very few goals in this team and once Cummins gets knackered on about 60 minutes that is our entire style gone and we don't create.

Just hoping maybe if Alfreton give us a thumping tomorrow (I expect it) then it may lead to a rethink in approach and see us go back to playing what suits our team and ditch this new style which seems to not suit the players, or our manager. I do feel sorry for Flanagan, I think he's just trying to cope with what he has left having lost Goalkeeper, his two best midfielders and striker in the summer, but we just frankly do not suit or feel comfortable in this current way of playing.

I'd rather personally go down trying to play the style which suits us and knowing we just then in long-term need to scout for the 3-4 players (and know it will get better when we do) than go down like we are and then have to re-sort everything again in summer.

I wouldnt expect a thrashing. We dont exactly score loads this season. I expect a tight,scrappy game with 1 goal either way settling it. We will see. And we have a pretty poor record against Curzon too. 1 win in the 4 meetings in Conference North

 

[Prodigal]

Dave, perhaps it's Chorley's fault, you sound like Curzon are playing our way, passes across the defence, hoof it up more in hope than expectation, midfield totally bypassed and no strikers scoring, looks like we might be in this together, except perhaps our defence is better than yours at present.
We held Brackley yesterday, but our keeper made 3 very good saves first half, we didn't have a shot on target and it was well into second half before we got a corner, but our manager says we have a bottom 5 or 6 budget so I guess it's to be expected. Long hard dull season.

 

[CFC4LIFE]

Dave, perhaps it's Chorley's fault, you sound like Curzon are playing our way, passes across the defence, hoof it up more in hope than expectation, midfield totally bypassed and no strikers scoring, looks like we might be in this together, except perhaps our defence is better than yours at present.
We held Brackley yesterday, but our keeper made 3 very good saves first half, we didn't have a shot on target and it was well into second half before we got a corner, but our manager says we have a bottom 5 or 6 budget so I guess it's to be expected. Long hard dull season.

Wouldn't say our defence is better... Without leather we're nowhere near as good, and teaguey is past it. Jordan reliable but is always injured and charnock is just a steady player. Chally is being wasted as he has to always stay back to cover for teague and the slow defence. At left back both jarvo and Blakey are played out of position but are reliable. Just hope beesley gets a chance, but I can't see him doing.

 

[Harrier94]

Anyone having issues with the highlights on The National League Website?

 

[DarkSithLord]

Anyone having issues with the highlights on The National League Website?

Yes. Can only watch 28 seconds of the highlights of our game.

 

[Luke Imp]

Yes. Can only watch 28 seconds of the highlights of our game.

Was the same last week as well. Well, the highlights were stopping 30 seconds from the end.

 

[Luke Imp]

That will change this season.

Yeah, it's not looking great early on although Frecklington didn't really get a 'bounce' out of them last season either.

 

[Harrier94]

Yes. Can only watch 28 seconds of the highlights of our game.

The National League seem awfully quiet on it. Thankfully we upload highlights now maybe Tuesday due to the game tomorrow so you'll still be able to see highlights.

 

[ForzaCounty]

Anyone having issues with the highlights on The National League Website?

Audio disappears halfway through ours.

I don't know why they have to have exclusivity, the quality is worse than our club's youtube highlights (I presume it has to be done via a central FTP thing so uploading raw video isn't viable) and they don't have some fancy content revenue system because it just links directly to the file. Daft.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

Poor again, attendances getting worse

Saying that, great result against a bang in form team with the meanest defence in the division.
Hectic month August for us fans having to squeeze in seven games home and away.

 

[Woodworm]

NFU seem to be improving?

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Dave, perhaps it's Chorley's fault, you sound like Curzon are playing our way, passes across the defence, hoof it up more in hope than expectation, midfield totally bypassed and no strikers scoring, looks like we might be in this together, except perhaps our defence is better than yours at present.
We held Brackley yesterday, but our keeper made 3 very good saves first half, we didn't have a shot on target and it was well into second half before we got a corner, but our manager says we have a bottom 5 or 6 budget so I guess it's to be expected. Long hard dull season.

I have no problem at all with a long-ball direct game. two of my past fave Carlisle sides played a hoof-ball/mixed game, and your lot has played it with success in recent seasons.

But if you play it you need players who suit it and have a style that is effective and can create chances from it. We seem to have just decided to shove a clump of players down the middle, whack it and hope for the best, we just simply do not look comfortable playing it at all, I suppose it may get better with time as usually Curzon have to bring in 3-4 players during season and start weak....that we'll see.

Not sure why its now not working at Chorley, maybe just a lack of improving on what you had in summer has cost you dearly.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

I wouldnt expect a thrashing. We dont exactly score loads this season. I expect a tight,scrappy game with 1 goal either way settling it. We will see. And we have a pretty poor record against Curzon too. 1 win in the 4 meetings in Conference North

Then it looks like a vital game for both........we could both struggle and really its the type of game neither game afford to flog. Our problem at present is our entire style depends on keeping it tight at back, but our best centre back is injured and second best is suspended.........makes it hard to get clean sheets.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

NFU seem to be improving?

Not sure on that one, but they didn't deserve a draw on Saturday we absolutely battered them.
Two factors, missed chances and also a keeper that was named in the national league north team of the week between the sticks

 

[Darlo On Tour]

It was a surprisingly comfortable win against our bogey team Tamworth.
They forced a good save and rebound save off Belshaw in the 2nd half. Other then that, Tamworth didn't look like scoring.
Their keeper was whispering to the goal posts at the start of the match. It didn't help much, though we could have been up 3 in the first 10 minutes. There was quite periods of the game where we seemed to sit back a bit but Tamworth couldn't do out with that time.

We were top this time last season to end up 11th so I won't be getting carried away, though our wins seem to be overall much more comfortable then this time last season.

I overhead a couple of our fans still questioning weather Ainge would be better off back in defence. . . Surely not.

Some fans you just can't seem to please, strange conversation especially when he was named in the national league north and south team of the week.

 

[Harrier94]

No Ironside, Bradley or Taylor for us today.....2-0 Brackley it is then.

 

[Harrier94]

Tamworth 0-1 Stockport

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Thank god we have steve Howson and Daniel shaw back in defence.

But no Leonard or cummins up front...........i think we may have gone 9-0-1 ....I think its maybe 5-4-1 unless i can think of who else goes up front.

 

[Harrier94]

Alfreton 1-0 Curzon

Tamworth 1-1 Stockport

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

oh well 1 down........we really need to ditch the 'play to not conceed' if we cannot keep clean sheets.

 

[Harrier94]

oh well 1 down........we really need to ditch the 'play to not conceed' if we cannot keep clean sheets.

I'm surprised you've gone all hoof ball, you only lost to us because we were better at the passing game but it clearly worked against other teams.

 

[Harrier94]

Salford 0-1 Southport